Nasri - We were never out of the title race


Samir Nasri believed Arsenal could win the title even before Saturday’s 2-1 win over Manchester United.

The Frenchman chose the perfect moment to bag a brace for the first time as a professional. His strikes on 22 and 48 minutes helped Arsène Wenger’s side reignite a Premier League challenge that was considered – by some outside Emirates Stadium at least - to be faltering.

“We are back in it,” said Nasri afterwards. “But we always thought we were involved, even before this game. We know our quality, our strengths and what we are capable of. We can definitely win the title this season.

“I know the big rivalry between the top clubs. We were a bit behind Liverpool and Chelsea beforehand and this was a massive game for us.

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“We could not have dreamed of getting a better result than the one we got. We showed we have got the quality technically that can help us to win big games like that one.

“And mentally we proved a point by winning this game against Manchester United. We know the title can be won by the games against the top four. We have shown we can do it and the most important thing is to keep going.

“Maybe we don’t have the experience of Liverpool, Man United or Chelsea but we showed how mature we have become after last season.

“[Of course] we have only just started the year and you cannot take any conclusions from the games so far. But it was important to win. It is also important to keep this going and keep our confidence for the next games.

“This win is a key game for us and, with all the players coming back from injury, we are only going to get better.”